Rotary web printing device with hollow printing cylinders



y 1958 J. V ISCARDI 2,841,080

ROTARY WEB PRINTING DEVICE WITH HOLLOW PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed April 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTQR JOHN VISCARDI.

BY wk (51%,

ATTORNEYS.

July 1, 19 J. VISCARDI 2,841,080

ROTARY WEB PRINTING DEVICE WITH HOLLOW PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed April.28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Q Ro'rARY WEB rnmrnvo DEVICE WITH HOLLOW PRENTING CYLINDERS John Viscardi, Lodi, N. J. Application April as, 1955, Serial No. 504,450

7 Claims. (Cl. 101-478) This invention relates generally to devices for printing, coating and the like, and is particularly directed to improvements in apparatus for impressing printed matter and designs on appropriate surfaces. The invention of the instant application is an improvement over the invention of my copending application Serial Number 474,410

filed Dec. 10, 1954.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally impression means, a plurality of printing cylinders cooperating with the impression means, means for imparting a printing medium to the printing cylinders, and means for holding the printing cylinders in proper relation with respect to the impression means and medium imparting means.

As noted in detail in the above mentioned application, prior cylinder type printing devices were necessarily very expensive, being of relatively great weight and precision construction. Further, the changing of printing cylinders, a frequent operation, involved undue expense both for the cylinders and the time consumed by personnel involved. In multicolor printing presses of the prior art, these difiiculties were compounded many fold. That is, in conventional printing devices adapted to make plural impressions, e. g. in different colors, both the initial and operating costs were extremely high.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved printing device capable of making plural impressions, say for multicolor printing, which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages, eliminates the use of printing cylinder mounting rolls and their supporting structure, greatly simplifies the mounting and demounting of printing cylinders, and effects substantial savings in initial and continuing costs.

' It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cylinder printing press having the advantageous characteristics disclosed in my above mentioned copending patent application, which is adapted for producing multicolor work in as many colors as desired, and which is capable of operation with various types of printing surfaces and inking means.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic, showing a printing press constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged, partial front elevational view showing the end region of a single printing cylinder;

2,841,080 Patented July 1, 1958 Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing the construction of Fig. 2 and taken at right angles thereto; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detail view showing one element of the structure of Figs. 2 and 3, removed therefrom.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Fig. 1 thereof, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises an impression cylinder or roll 10 and a plurality of printing units 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 disposed in spaced relation about the impression roll.

The impression roll 10 includes a cylinder 16, which may be hollow, if desired, and is preferably provided with an external layer or sheath of resilient, high friction material, such as rubber or the like. The impression roll is mounted on a coaxial shaft 17 for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, say in the direction indicated by the arrow 18. Conventional means may be provided for journaling and driving the shaft 17, and consequently the impression roll 19, and are not shown in the drawings.

The printing units 11-15 each include cylindrical pressure rolls 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 disposed parallel to the impression roll, hollow printing cylinders or shells 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, inking means 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35, and stabilizing or guide means 36, 37, 38, 39 and 41 for properly positioning the respective printing cylinders relative to their inking means. The pressure rolls 21-25 are disposed in spaced relation about the exterior of the impression roll 10 and mounted for rotation about their respective axes parallel to the shaft 17. The printing cylinders 26-30 extend eccentrically about the pressure rolls 214.5, respectively, and snugly between the iH'lpression roll and respective pressure roll so as to be contact with the impression roll upon rotation of the latter.

As the printing cylinders 264% may be relatively thin, the guide or stabilizing means 36-40 insure that the printing cylinders will be maintained in a substantially circu-- lar configuration and positioned so as to receive a print-- ing medium from the inking means 3135. It will be observed that the illustrated inking means are each dis posed directly under their respective printing cylinders and include an upwardly opening ink receptacle or color pan, as at 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45, and an inking or furnishing roll as at 46, 47, 48, 49 and 5t) rotatable in the pan and in external tangential contact with the associated printing cylinder. While this form of inking means may be particularly well suited for printing from type, it is appreciated that the invention is equally well adapted for use with other kinds of printing, such as lithography and intaglio, as described in the above identified copending application.

In Figs. 2 and 3, one end region of the printing unit 11 is illustrated in greater detail; and, as both end regions of all the printing units are substantially identical, .a detailed description of Figs. 2 and 3 will be applicable to both ends of all the printing units. A fragment or piece 55 of the printing machine frame is disposed outwards of and spaced from one end of the printing cylinder 26, and is formed with a guideway 56 opening radially inwards towards the axis of the impression roll 10. A journal bearing member or body 57 is mounted in the guideway 56 for sliding movement toward and away from the impression roll. The journal bearing member receives and rotatably supports a journal end shaft 58 of the pressure roll 21; and of course, an oppositely extending journal shaft on the other end of the pressure roll 21 is rotatably received in a similar bearing member (not shown) also mounted for movement toward and away from the impression roll.

The printing cylinder or shell 26 may be fabricated of any suitable material, such as copper or the like, and,

rolls and 21.

, position.

extends snugly between the external surfaces of the impr ession roll 19 andpressure roll 21, so as to be in external tangential contact with the impression roll, the pressure roll being disposed in internal tangential contact with the printing cylinder. An adjusting member or pressure screw 6ilv extends, through the frame piece 55,

generally radially of the. impression andpressure rolls,

in threaded engagement with a fixed bushing 61, and into the opening 56. A clamping foot 62 is provided on I one end of the pressure screw disposed within the opening frame element 65 disposed intermediate the frame piece 55 and printing cylinder 26, and arrangedsubstantially normal to the aligned radii of the impression and pressure That is, the frame element 65 has a pair of elongate, parallel spaced side pieces 66 and 67 I extending normal to aligned radii of the impression and pressure rolls, and provided on their facing surfaces with longitudinally extending grooves 68 and 69, respectively,

to define a slideway therebetween, for purposes appearing presently. The ends of the elongate side pieces 66 and 67 are fixedly secured together by end pieces 70 and 71 which combine with the side pieces to define the rectangular open frame element. A pair of journal blocks 72 and 73 are slidable in the space between the side pieces 66 and 67 longitudinally therealong, and an elongate threaded element or actuator or control'member 74 is disposed longitudinally of and within the space between the side pieces 66 and 67, extending in threaded engagement through thejournal blocks 72 and 73, and rotatably through'the end pieces 70 and '71. On opposite ends of the actuating member 74, exteriorly of the end pieces 70 and 71 are provided polygonal heads 75 and '76 facilitating rotation of the actuating member. As the screw threads on the upper portion of the actuating member 74, which engage within the bearing or journal block 72, are disposed oppositely with respect to the screw threads on the lower portion of the actuating member, which engage with the bearing or journal block 73, rotation of the actuating member will effect movement of the bearing blocks vertically toward and away from each other, for purposes appearing presently.

The side piece 66 is provided with a laterally projecting fiange or ear 79 which extends into the guideway 56 and is clamped between the pressure screw foot 62 and journal bearing 57 to fix the frame element 65 in Hence, the pressure screw 60 serves to fix the frame element 65 relative to the frame piece 55, and simultaneously maintain the pressure roll 21 at the desired pressure against the printing cylinder 26. Of course, a frame element similar to the frame element 65 is disposed adjacent to the other end of the printing cylinder. A pair of guide rolls 8% and 81 are disposed in internal tangential relation with respect to the printing cylinder 26, spaced from each other and from the pressure roll 21, and have end extensions 82 and 83 journaled, respectively, in the journal blocks 72 and '73 Of course, end extensions are provided on both ends of the stabilizing or guide rolisfifi and 81 and journaied in their respective journal blocks. i The guide rolls 8t) and 81 are preferably provided with an external layer or rubber or other resilient material and steal by movement of the actuating member 74 into 1 et' nal engagement with the interior surface of the printing cylinder. n this manner, the printing cylinder 26 is effectively supported, and maintained approximately circular configuration by the pressure roll 21 and guide rolls 8% and 81. As the pressureand guide rolls are spaced about the interior of the printing cylinder, all regions of the latter will be held in proper position as determined by the guide rolls. Hence, as seen in Fig. 1, the inking rolls46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 will be in constant contact with their respective printing cylinders although their tangential locations vary relative to the respective guide and pressure rolls. While the actuator 74 is illustrated and has been described as a single threaded member for simultaneously adjusting both journal blocks 72 and 73, there may of course be provided a pair of actuators for individually adjusting the blocks.

If the pressure roll 21 and guide rolls and 81 are not properly set up, the printing cylinder may tend to shift endwise. However such shifting can be prevented by a thrust bearing, as at 85, secured to each of the journal blocks 73. As best seen in Fig. 4 the thrust bearing 85 includes an open ended housing 86 fixed to the underside of the journal block 73, and a non-rotatable, extensile and retractile carrier member 87 slidable in the housing and having a rotatable ball 38 mounted in its extending end. 'The rotatable ball 88 is adapted for engagement with the end surface of the printing cylinder 26 to prevent endwise movement of the latter Without impairing rotation thereof. Projecting from the other end of the housing 36 is a threaded member or screw 89, which is rotatable in the housing and engageable with the carrier member 87 to properly position the latter and prevent retraction thereof into the housing. Of course, with thrust bearings engaging both ends of the printing cylinder,.there can be no end shifting whatever.

Inoperation, rotation of the impression roll 10 serves to drive all of the printing cylinders and their respective pressure and guide rolls, so that a sheet or web of paper or the like may be passed between impression roll and each printing cylinder to be successively imprinted by the latter.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides an improved printing device which fully accomplishes its intended objects, and which is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain change and modifications may be made within thespirit ofthe invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing device, a rotatable impression roll, a

, plurality of spaced hollow printing cylinders disposed in external contact with said impression roll, pressure means disposed in internal engagement with each of said printing cylinders to hold the latter in contact with said impression roll and maintain rolling contact between sion roll, means for'applying a printing medium to the exterior of each of said printing cylinders, and guide means for maintaining each of said printing cylinders in proper position for receiving said printing medium, whereby a plurality of imprints can be made on a single sheet during one pass of the sheet about said impression roll.

2. A printing device according to claim 1, said guide means comprising a pair of guide rolls disposed in engagement with each of said printing cylinders spaced from each other and said pressure means, and means adjustably mounting said guide rolls for movement toward and away from each other.

3. A printing device according to claim 2, said adjustable mounting means comprising a frame member sepaling said guide rolls, andcontrol means forshifting said journal blocks in said frame member to properly position said guide rolls and hence said printing cylinder.

4. In a printing device, a rotatable impression roll, a plurality of spaced pressure rolls arranged about said impression roll substantially parallel thereto, journal bearings rotatably supporting each of said pressure rolls and movable toward and away from said impression roll, a plurality of hollow impervious printing cylinders each circumposed eccentrically about one of said pressure rolls and extending snugly and in frictional engagement between said impression roll and the associated pressure roll, means for effecting movement of said journal bearings toward and away from said impression roll to vary the pressure between said printing cylinders and impression roll, means for imparting a printing medium to the exterior of each printing cylinder, a pair of spaced guide rolls disposed in internal tangential engagement with each of said printing cylinders to maintain the latter in proper position for receiving said printing medium, and means adjustably mounting said guide rolls for movement toward and away from each other to adjust and maintain said printing cylinders in proper position.

5. A printing device according to claim 4, said adjusting means comprising a frame member releasably clamped to each of said bearing members for movement therewith, a pair of journal blocks mounted in each of said frame members for movement toward and away from each other and journaling said guide rolls, and control means for shifting said journal blocks to properly position said guide rolls.

6. A printing device according to claim 4, in combination with a thrust bearing on each of said guide roll mounting means engageable with opposite ends of said printing cylinders to prevent endwise shifting of the latter.

7. In a printing device, an impression roll journalled for axial rotation, a plurality of spaced hollow printing cylinders disposed in external tangential relation and frictional engagement with said impression roll, a plurality of pressure rolls each journalled for rotation about an axis parallel to said impression roll and disposed in tangential frictional engagement with a respective one of said printing cylinders to rotatably support the latter in rolling contact with said impression roll, means for applying a printing medium to the exterior of said printing cylinder, and stabilizing means in engagement with said printing cylinder for maintaining the latter in proper position to receive said printing medium, said stabilizing means comprising a pair of rotatable guide rolls disposed in internal tangential contact with each of said printing cylinders in spaced relation with respect to each other and the associated pressure means, and means for adjustably positioning said guide rolls to maintain said printing cylinder in position to receive said medium.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,519,544 Mclndoe Dec. 16, 1924 1,792,654 Nerdich Feb. 17, 1931 1,815,622 Jamison July 21, 1931 2,237,179 Gromm Apr. 1, 1941 2,756,669 Hofiman July 31, 1956 

